Langebaan

Langebaan is situated on the West Coast, Western Cape

Langebaan is a mixture of the very old and the very new, with a strong Parks Board presence, a country club and numerous holiday facilities. Much of Langebaans old-world innocence is still there, but, as a setting for the activities of water sport and fishing enthusiasts.

Langebaan is a lagoon town with a definite place in history, as it once was the site where the various leaders of the Khoi nation held their periodic get - togethers. Since WW II, when the giant Catalina Flying boats used Langebaan as a terminal for their long journeys from the UK, the village has had an uneventful, quiet development, gradually growing into the favourite West Coast town for pensioners.

Earlier in the century, when the biggest whaling station in the southern hemisphere was still operational here, langebaan was not quite as peaceful as today. Since the closure of the station, however, Langebaan has changed completely, settling down into the pattern of a seasonal holiday town.

Attractions in Langebaan

• the biggest oyster shell deposits in the world
• its position as the ornithological capital of RSA
• its fascinating islands steeped in history
• the Postberg peninsula
• The West Coast National Park
• Langebaans healthy climate with bracing air and sunlit days

The unique setting of Langebaan on a pristine blue lagoon, stretching for 17 km parallel to the Atlantic Ocean, makes this resort the main attraction of the West Coast. Langebaan is a paradise for water sport enthusiasts, with activities ranging from waterskiing and sailing to diving and spearfishing. The area is famous beyond the borders of South Africa for it’s fascinating birdlife, wild flowers and palaeontological discoveries. The town was established in 1922 on the farm De Stompe Hoek, previously known as Gietenmelksfontein.

GENERAL INFORMATION

How to get there

Cape Town 120 km, Johannesburg 1450 km, Saldanha Bay 22 km, Springbok 525 km.

Average Temperatures

Summer 17°c – 25°c; winter 8°c – 16°c

Average Rainfall: 305 mm per annuam

Banks

Standard (agency only), ATM’s 2

NATURE

Langebaan Lagoon

The lagoon, 17 km long and 4,5 km wide, is a magnificent stretch of water, recognized by ornitholigists as one of the great wetlands of the world. The mudbanks, teeming with shrimp and prawn, are a favourite feeding ground for birds including large numbers of waders such as flamingoes, sanpipers and plovers. At times more than 100 000 birds are congregated at the lagoon. The best time to visit the area is in spring when the wild flowers form a sea of gay colours contrasting with the blue waters of the lagoon. Apart from several small animals on it’s shores, more than 300 species of fish have been recorded in the waters of the lagoon. Once the lagoon was home to huge colonies of oysters, but changing water conditions killed them off and today none are found anywhere in the lagoon. The bottom of the lagoon, though, is covered with shells – more than 30 million of them – piled to a depth of 7 m in some places, making the Lnagebaan Lagoon one of the largest oyster graveyards in the world.

Postberg Private Nature Reserve

Affords unrivalled views of the Langebaan lagoon. The reserve, flanked by the lagoon on one side and the Atlantic Ocean on the other, is only open for two moths of the year – August and September – when the wild flowers are at their most spectacular. Apart from it’s diverse plant life, the reserve is home to several antelope and game species, including zebras, kudu, gemsbok, blue and black wildebeest and eland

ATTRACTIONS

Arts & Crafts

Club Mykonos Art Gallery

The Farmhous

Sunny Park

Mini golf, trampolines, fun bikes

ACTIVITIES

Canoeing Langebaan Canoe Trail

West Coast National Park

Guided, 2 hour trail in double canoes

Diving

Stokkies Stokenstroom

Hiking

Geelbek Day Walk

Four trails of varying distances (7 km – 16 km), circular, difficult grading

Strandveld Educational Trail

30 km / 2 days, circular day walks from same base camp, self guided, average grading

Horse Riding

Oliphantskop Farm Inn Horse Trails

Trails along the beach, riding lessons, guided overnight trails available.

Windstone Equestrian Centre

Horse riding and lessons

Lagoon Cruises

Mountain Biking / Cycling

Paddle Skiing

Sport

Langebaan Country Club

Attractions include bar facilities, accommodation, an 18 hole golf course, tennis, bowls, sailing, fishing, horse riding, bird watching and a private beach

Waterskiing

Windsuring & Kayaking

Accommodation in and around Langebaan